Hardly know how to assess that, but I'll try!

If, like me, you've witnessed a few relegation campaigns then you will probably be thinking "No, this can't be happening". Thinking back to the last two times that we went down to the old Fourth Division - I saw it happen in 1965 and 1972 - Oakwell was literally a wasteland with nothing but a shell of a football team, devoid of any real talent, passion or ideas. Week after week of unending despair with no prospect of things ending anywhere else but the dreaded bottom four. I know plenty on here will disagree with this but I don't see that this season. There is hope - more than that, we will NOT go down.

Now there is a small problem here - literally a "small" one. The diminutive chap with the nice speaking voice that stands just outside our box every week is, at the moment, failing to inspire his team onto better things. I can't honestly work out why not. Individually we have a terrific squad of players, at least for this league, and some would thrive in the one above.

Today was yet another afternoon of total frustration. We could and should have been three or four goals up in the first half but we all know what follows that don't we! We concede a soft goal and then, not long afterwards, we concede another one. There was the half time break in between but not many minutes. That second one just annoyed me! I forget who lost the ball in midfield but Pearson ended up chasing that pacy winger almost half the length of the field until he checked back, slipped it inside for the simplest of goals. No one helped him out, no one covered the incoming ball. How come when we get someone who can make that kind of run he is shadowed by two if not three players? When it is done to us the defence has gone missing.

Their first goal was a lucky, looping header that had it come off one of our heads would have sailed over the bar. For them it found the top corner. We just CANNOT keep giving teams a goal or two start. It's got to stop. For all our pressure after the second goal, and during most of the first half, we could only get a lucky ricochet that landed at Winnall's feet and he couldn't miss. Apart from that we had literally a sack full of chances, and that's not the first time this season at Oakwell.

I laughed - literally LAUGHED - when the MoM award was announced. Just how many vote on these things? I can only assume that five people texted in and at least three of them voted for Watkins. Why, for goodness sake, did anyone consider him the best player in our team? I must have missed all his good bits because I am struggling to remember him touching the ball in the second half, and he looked gangly and "non league-esque" during the first half. How the heck did he get in ahead of Jackson who had a decent game on Tuesday?

I'm not going to rip into the rest of the team. They tried, they had chances to win half a dozen matches, they came second again. It can't go on Mr Johnson and for all your calm and measured statements you are starting to lose the supporting majority. Well, I think he is anyway! Strangely there was plenty of sympathetic applause at the end, but I'm not sure why. I suppose it was for the "effort" rather than the result. Even a 2-2 would have been poor against yet another shocking Third Division team.

Honestly I am at a loss as to why this keeps happening. Just when you think there can't be anyone worse to come along, one does! It truly is a pitiful collection of teams this year and we cannot get the better of most of them. Baffling, just beyond reason. These players are good enough to win the league at a canter. This TEAM, however, is not. I'm not sure LJ will get much longer. Who keeps their manager after EIGHT - count them!! - eight successive league defeats?

The whole club is rotting from board level down to first team player level. I nearly said down to the juniors but at least they, and the Under 21s, won last week. Small specks of light in a very, very dark season so far and a darker winter to come. Just when you think we have hit rock bottom we somehow manage to plumb even greater depths. Quite a trick that!

 

Excellent summary Prince.
I find myself agreeing with just about every week.
BTW it was Pearson who lost it originally in midfield for the second goal but chased back and for me was the one who showed most passion again this week.

 

Yes I thought it was Pearson who lost it, but at least he made the effort to go after the ball even if it meant a 50 yard chase. Shame he didn't take the cynical route that Vale did. A sliding tackle just inside our half would have taken their man down and there would have been no second goal. Maybe he didn't fancy another booking.

 

Not sure that our defence is good enough to win the league at a canter.

 

Not as a unit, no. But given the right selections, all the way through the team, we should be good enough to win the division. As I said, the players are good enough. The problem is getting them to function as a team. Not consistent enough to win matches.

 

I agree that the players are much better than our league position, but I think it will take a new manager and a few experienced players before we are anywhere near the top of the table.

 

How many of our better players will still be here in February.

 

If the midfield isn't sorted then this will never mend, that's where all the trouble is

 

We do not have a "terrific squad of players"

 

If we do, they haven't shown it.

 

Good summary, although I disagree with the luck mentioned in their first goal. He jumped to meet the ball, whilst Mawson stood flat footed. Ball in the net.

 

We don't have a squad of terrific players we have Hourihane and Hamill possibly Winnall and Scowen the rest are average to poor (Janes Bree excluded).

 

I was probably using the wrong word there. What I meant was that, compared to most squads in this division, ours must be up near the top as regards the quality of individuals. The trick is getting them to play to their strengths. So far, apart from the odd exception, they are not doing that. So, so frustrating...

 

They need to learn get in peoples faces for 90 minutes.

 

When have we ever had a team that can do that? Individual players have done that, certainly - Scowen for example - but mostly we are too nice.

Sick of seeing bullying teams like Port Vale take points of us this season. They all use the double barreled approach - foul the other team at every opportunity, especially when a player is running with the ball and go down every time they touch you. Seems to work every time.

 

We do have to take this approach with Loanees as a positive though. We have several on loan with an option to permanent, could have been much worse if we had signed them on a 2 year deal first off.

 

I agree to an extent I think there is plenty of potential in our players I just don't think many have realised that potential. Mawson for example if learning his trade next to a vocal experienced partner could develop into a good player at the minute he isn't but he would get into most other teams squads. Our problem is we have no one with the relevant nous on the field to help these young lads blossom. I thought before a ball was kicked that we would be lower mid table at best without some experience and with the current squad my view is anyone would struggle as manager. But yes very frustrating.

 

In my 60 odd years i've seen some relegations.

However, i don't see a relegation side at the moment.

We won't get promoted but plenty of time to save ourselves.

 

That's exactly what any experienced midfielder would have done. Professional foul, as the commentators like to say, a good booking.

 

A very good initial post Prince.
Eloquently putting what a lot of people are saying.
A lot of people can see the problem.
At his level we have some very talented and very promising individual players.
Johnson has tried to build on this strategy and his more recent comments that he needs more experience in the team I see as an acknowledgement that he has realised that you need experienced heads in key positions, to compliment the youngsters, especially when things are not going well.

I think it would be a breath of fresh air if he came out and said I'm sorry, the approach I took doesn't work. I was wrong. I've made mistakes. I have learnt from it and this is what I am going to do to correct it.
Maybe he feels he cant say that as it sounds like he is inexperienced (he is 34 so of course he is) and open himself up for even more criticism.
Some people have said hes tactically clueless. I think quite the opposite. On football tactics theory I think he is right up there. I'm sure he could write books on football tactics. But on building a team that can do well in the hurly burly of third division football he has virtually no experience at all and needs help.